Screenland (May-Oct 1936)

6 SCREENLAND Shirley Temple's best picture! Warm and human, with plenty of rich hokum and humor, the popular story about the old lighthouse keeper on the New England Coast who adopts a baby, is charmingly told. Shirley teams perfectly with Guy Kibbcc, dances wonderfully with Buddy Ebsen. June Lang, Slim Summerville, Nclla Walker and June Harwell give fine characterizations, but this is Shirley's picture. Walter Huston, in his most ambitious film undertaking, gives the finest performance of his screen career in this sweeping historical romance of Cecil Rhodes' adventures in cornering the diamond mines of South Africa and setting up the British Empire there. No love romance, so don't go expecting that. But here is a film done in the epic scale, with bigness of theme and excellent acting and photography. They've had every other kind, so now comes a murder of a film leading man who gets a threat note on the set saying he'll not live to see his picture previewed. And, by gum, he doesn't ! Two other killings occur, and the whodunit jitters gain momentum. Reginald Denny, Frances Drake, Gail Patrick, Ian Keith, and a flock of oldtimers add to the proceedings. The insidestudio stuff is the best yet. It's exciting. Excitement in Mexico with the Senator's exploring daughter, Gertrude Michael, kidnapped by a hiding-out band of jewel thieves. George Murphy is a newspaper reporter who does his best. But the gem performance that stands out in cameo-cut brilliance is that of Akim Tamiroff, a Russian, who does a Mexican desperado you'll never forget. The tempo is finely sustained ; situations build. Don't miss this picture ! TAGGING the TALKIES Delight Evans' Reviews on Pages 52-53 George Raft in a made-to-measure part of a real he-guy, and you will like him all over again. Here he and Leo Carrillo are immigrants from Italy, expecting to find gold in the streets — but they have to dig ditches to eat. From that start, George works up to affluence and influence. Rosalind Russell is the love interest, and Alan Dinehart underplays excellently the part of the scheming banker. Good entertainment. B Very touching, particularly to the dog lovers of the land. It's folksy melodrama laid in the Ozark mountains, where they raise fox hounds and bestow upon them an affection to match that of the dog for its master. Lionel Barrymore draws a heartwarming portrait of the man who kills a neighbor because he thought this man killed his dog. Maureen O'Sullivan and Eric Linden supply the romance. Appealing. Sally Eilers and James Dunn together again, fighting until they fall in love in a nonsensical bit of affable amusement. Pinky Tomlin goes along for the cross-country ride in a broken-down flivver, which Sally hires, plus services of the two out-of-funds pals. Sure enough, Sally turns out to be the daughter of a rich London, Ohio, business man. It's a perky little comedy, unpretentious but thoroughly entertaining. The tragedy of Dr. Samuel Mudd. "the American Alonte Crislo," told in terms of stirring and distinguished screen drama, with Warner Baxter giving a notably fine performance of the Southern doctor falsely accused of complicity in the assassination of Lincoln and committed to Shark Island. Gloria Stuart is sympathetic as the wife, and John Carradine scores in a' heavy role. Stark drama, but a really grand film. A rollicking film that rolls along to the tune of your chuckles, giggles, and somebig laughs. Carole Lombard gives it lots of bubble and sparkle as the girl who gets chased by a wealthy suitor, then turns about and chases him when he feigns indifference. Preston Foster teams along in great style with the lively Lombard. Cesar Romero has a negative part. For a gay and frivolous evening, be sure to see this one ! Skating on very thin ice back to the Nineties goes Mae West, the gal of insinuations and innuendoes. Far less of a "family picture" even than her previous films, so make sure you send the children to see "Captain January" or "Little Lord Fauntleroy" before joining Miss West in her latest series of questionable screen adventures. Victor McLaglen, that fine actor, is wasted in this exhibition of bad taste. Hilarious account of a young man named Gene Raymond who starts from New York, on a bet, in his BVD's and no money. He has to arrive in Los Angeles in two days, wearing a new suit, have at least $100 in his pocket, and a beautiful girl in love with him. Gene wins. The girl is Wendy Barrie. How Gene wins will have you in stitches. Helen Broderick adds materially to the nonsense. Perfectly goofy, but amusing.